The Nebraska–Kearney Lopers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska at Kearney, located in Kearney, Nebraska, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for most of its sports since the 2012–13 academic year;[3][4] while its women's swimming and diving team competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).[5] The Lopers previously competed in the D-II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 1994–95 to 2011–12 (which they were a member on a previous stint as a provisional member during the 1989–90 school year); and in the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1976–77 to 1988–89.
| Nebraska–Kearney Lopers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of Nebraska at Kearney |
| Conference | The MIAA |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Marc Bauer |
| Location | Kearney, Nebraska |
| Varsity teams | 17 |
| Football stadium | Ron & Carol Cope Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Health and Sports Center |
| Baseball stadium | Kearney Memorial Field |
| Mascot | Louie |
| Nickname | Loper |
| Fight song | "We Fight for UNK!" |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| Website | www |
 | |
| Team NCAA championships | |
| 4[2] | |
Conference affiliations
edit- 1916–17 to 1927–28: Nebraska Collegiate Conference
- 1928–29 to 1942–43: Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1943–44 to 1975–76: Nebraska Collegiate Conference
- 1976–77 to 1988–89: Central States Intercollegiate Conference
- 1989–90 to 1993–94: Independent
- 1994–95 to 2011–12: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- 2012–13 to present: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Varsity teams
editUNK competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and wrestling; basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Football | Golf |
| Tennis (2023–24) | Soccer |
| Track and field† | Softball |
| Wrestling | Swimming and diving |
| Tennis | |
| Track and field† | |
| Volleyball | |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
Softball
editThe Lopers softball team appeared in the first three Women's College World Series in 1969, 1970 and 1971.[6]
Women's swim and dive
editThe Women's swim and dive team is an affiliate member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
National championships
editTeam
edit| Sport | Association | Division | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score/Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softball (2) | NAIA | Single | 1987 | Francis Marion | 1–0 |
| 1990 | Pacific Lutheran | 6–3 (8 innings) |
Mascot
editThe mascot at University of Nebraska at Kearney is Louie, who has been at the college since the beginning. He is always at every UNK Athletic event cheering on the Lopers with the cheerleaders.[7]
Facilities
edit- Foster Field at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium – Home of the Loper football and soccer teams[8]
- Cushing Pool – Home of the Loper Swim & Dive team[9]
- Dryden Park – Home of the UNK Softball team[10]
- Harmon Park – Home of the UNK Tennis team[11]
- Health and Sports Center – Home of the UNK Basketball, Wrestling, and Volleyball teams[12]
- Kearney Memorial Field – Home of the UNK Baseball team (Once home to a New York Yankees minor league team, Nebraska State League)[13]
Notable alumni
edit- Kamaru Usman, former UFC Welterweight Champion and 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling champion
- Stephen Goodin, NFL player
- Randy Rasmussen, former New York Jets player
- Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees pitcher
- Tervel Dlagnev, Olympic Wrestler
- Mason Brodine, tight end for the St. Louis Rams
- Arthur Hobbs, defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- George Murdoch, Professional Wrestler, currently signed to the Nation Wrestling Alliance under the ring name Tyrus
References
edit- ^ Communications & Marketing Color Specifications. UNK. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
- ^ "CHAMPIONSHIPS SUMMARY" (PDF). NCAA.org. NCAA. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Corbitt, Ken (August 23, 2012). "Newcomers add strength to rugged MIAA". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
- ^ Toppmeyer, Blake. "MIAA adds 2, more on horizon – Maryville, MO". Maryville Daily Forum. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
- ^ Staff (2012-04-12). "Swimming and Diving: NSIC". The American News. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
- ^ Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9893007-0-4.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Louie Loper". lopers.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field". lopers.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Cushing Pool". lopers.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Dryden Park". lopers.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Harmon Park". lopers.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Health & Sports Center". lopers.com.
- ^ "Nebraska Kearney Lopers – Memorial Field". lopers.com.
